1) Technical Field
The subject invention relates to a ventilation assembly for an attic of a building.
2) Description of the Prior Art
It is desirable to have an attic or upper story of a building be vented to the atmosphere to prevent heat build up within the attic. Poor attic ventilation can result in high air conditioning bills in the summer, excessive moisture retention in the winter, loss of insulation efficiency, and destruction of the roof itself.
A proper designed ventilation assembly, which can be a roof vent, gable vent, soffet vent, or the like, utilizes the natural forces of temperature and wind. The temperature force, or thermal effect, results from a temperature differential between the interior of the attic and the outside. In order to minimize the thermal effect within the attic, the ventilation assembly should be disposed at the highest possible elevation.
The force of the wind, or wind pressure, is created when the wind flows over the building which creates a vacuum therein. The vacuum produces a negative pressure area on the upwind side of the building and a positive pressure area on the downwind side of the building.
Roof ridge vents have become increasingly popular for providing the needed ventilation. Roof ridge vents extend along the ridge of a pitched roof and cover a ventilating opening that is cut longitudinally in the roof. Many of the prior art ridge vents work in conjunction with a gable vent such that the gable vent draws air into the attic and the air then exhausts out the ridge vent. The ridge vents typically include filters or screens disposed within the vent itself to prevent the intrusion of particles, snow, debris, insects and the like. However, the filters or screens disposed within the path of airflow restrict the uniform flow of air through the vent. Examples of this type of ridge vent configuration are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,325,290; 4,817,506; 4,924,761; 5,122,095; and 5,830,059.
In order to increase the air flow through the ridge roof vent and to thereby increase the efficiency of the roof vent, it is desirable to remove any filter or screen from the air passageways of the vent to allow unobstructed air flow through the vent while still preventing the intrusion of particles, debris, insects and the like. In addition, the unimpeded roof vent should also be able to redirect the intrusion of water, snow, debris and the like away from the roof vent. Finally, it is desirable to roll the entire roof vent assembly into a single coil such that the coil may be unrolled on top of the roof, thereby increasing the efficiency of the installation process.
The deficiencies in the prior art are overcome by providing a ventilation assembly for ventilating at least a portion of a building through at least one opening in the building. The ventilation assembly comprises a vent structure having a mounting portion adapted for securing the vent structure to the building over the opening. The vent structure further includes a vent portion having a plurality of upstanding walls defining at least one unimpeded fluid passageway for providing unobstructed fluid flow through the vent portion over the opening. The ventilation assembly is characterized by an at least partially porous membrane disposed adjacent the vent portion and spaced from the fluid passageway to maintain the unobstructed fluid flow through the fluid passageway. The membrane is adapted for being mounted over the opening in the building to create a barrier for preventing the intrusion of particles into the opening while allowing the ventilating to occur. The ventilation assembly may also include a plurality of upwardly extending ribs defining a plurality of troughs disposed between the upstanding walls for directing a flow of material away from the ventilation assembly while allowing the ventilating to occur.
The subject ventilation assembly further includes a process of installing a roof ventilation assembly over an opening of a roof. The process includes the steps of; rolling the vent structure and membrane into a single coil during the manufacture of the roof ventilation assembly, unrolling the coil of the vent structure and membrane onto the roof over the opening, securing portions of the membrane to the roof over the opening, and securing portions of the vent structure to the roof over the membrane.
Accordingly, the subject invention provides for a ventilation assembly which maintains an unobstructed fluid passageway through the vent itself while still preventing the intrusion of particles, debris, insects and the like. Further, the unimpeded roof vent redirects the intrusion of water, snow, debris and the like away from the roof vent. Finally, the subject ventilation assembly is rolled into a single coil such that the coil may be unrolled on top of the roof which increases the efficiency of the installation process.